Baye StraightForward Harrell (writer, performer) is a writer, performer, producer, and historian. Acting appearances include Zomo the Rabbit: A Hip-Hop Creation Myth, Cinderella: the Remix, Passing Strange, Liner Notes, and HBO’s The Wire. His group Hueman Prophets has performed across the country, released two studio albums, and produced the play Read: White and Blue. Recently, he’s co-curated the DC Hip-Hop Theater Festival and served on the Kennedy Center staff to usher in Hip Hop Culture. Accolades include the “Excellence in STEAM Award” from the Northern Virginia Urban League. He holds a BA in Sociology and an MA in Arts Management.

Paige Hernandez (writer, performer) is a multidisciplinary artist who is critically acclaimed as a performer, director, choreographer and playwright. As an AEA equity actress, Paige has performed on many stages throughout the country. She is the recipient of the MD Individual Artist Award as well as two Helen Hayes nominations for choreography and performance. Paige has been named a “classroom hero” by The Huffington Post, a “Citizen Artist Fellow” with the Kennedy Center and a “Rising leader of Color” with The Theatre Communications Group. Up next she’ll develop her hip-hopera STOMPING GROUNDS with the Glimmerglass festival. With her company B-FLY ENTERTAINMENT, Paige continues to develop and tour ​original work internationally. www.paigehernandez.com

PRODUCTION

Raymond O. Caldwell (director) is a resident-director and full-time Acting/Musical Theatre professor in the Department of Theatre Arts at Howard University. He holds an MFA in acting with a focus in community outreach and developing new work from The Ohio State University and a BFA in acting from the University of Florida. He has toured nationally and internationally as a performer and has additionally directed and developed work throughout the US, India, Ukraine, Greece, Germany, and the UK.

C.C. Gould (lighting designer) is originally from Kansas, but luckily managed to escape! She has held the position of technical director and lighting supervisor on multiple KCTYA tours and projects around the US. C.C. recently moved to DC to take a position as the Production Electrician for The Washington Ballet. Prior to moving to DC, She was The Production Manager for Chicago Park District’s Theater on the Lake.She is looking forward to pressing fast-forward on settling in to life in DC, and living in one place for a while!

Nick “tha 1da” Hernandez (Composer, Music Director) from Baltimore, MD has been scoring soundtracks for local & national artists since 2000. He has composed for theater productions such as Paige In Full [b fly productions] with sibling Paige Hernandez, The Hip-hop Children’s Trilogy (Imagination Stage) with playwright/artist Psalmayene 24, Darius & Twig (Kennedy Center), Words Become Flesh by Marc Bamuthi Joseph [Theater Alliance], radio segments/theme for the Peter Rosenberg Show (Hot97), & independent film Loose Change 9/11. He has produced & performed live for several institutions including Millennium Stage, The Smithsonian, Fox News, DC Boxing & Wrestling Commission & Red Bull. Additionally, he teaches music production & audio engineering with non-profit organization Words, Beats, & Life.

Danielle Preston(costume designer) is based in the DC area. Recent design credits include: Darius & Twig (The Kennedy Center for Performing Arts),Other Desert Cites (Triad Stage), Holiday Memories (WSC Avant Bard), A Bid To Save The World (Rorschach Theatre), Br’er Cotton (Catholic University of America), Black Comedy, Peter & the Starcatcher, The Foreigner (Bristol Valley Theater), The Cherry Orchard (University of North Carolina School of the Arts), Tales of Hoffmann (University of North Carolina School of the Arts), Education: M.F.A. in Costume Design from The University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Costume Design.www.daniellepreston.com

Cory L. Stowers (Graffiti Artist) is the founder and art director for ART B.L.O.C. DC, a membership based artist organization. Stowers has designed and managed the installation of large-scale public mural projects for nearly 20-years in Washington, DC. Stowers, was awarded a Public Art Building Communities grant in 2015 from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities to to create Living Timeline: Paul Robeson, the first interactive public mural in the country. An active graffiti writer himself of more than 22-years, Stowers has emerged as the voice of Washington DC’s graffiti community. His influence is measured in the large number of youth graffiti writer’s he has mentored and taught over his two-decade career.

Creativity. Respect. Understanding. Cooperation. Effort. Self-care. These are positive qualities that could help children to grow into productive members of our society. All the Way Live! (AWL) seeks to teach these qualities in a relatable and catchy way, much like a song on the radio. Using rhythm and rhyme, this show aims to tune children to the frequency of positive thoughts and feelings. Its opportunity for audience participation gives young people a chance to broadcast their best selves to the world.

While All the Way Live! showcases the four artistic elements of Hip Hop culture (emceeing, djing, breaking, and graffiti art), Paige and I sought to shed light on the fifth element – “knowledge of self”. “Knowledge of Self” is shown in our story when it’s revealed that by thinking about our feelings and behaviors we are in control of our influence on the world. Knowledge of self gives all people, regardless of age, the ability of a radio — the power to control what we receive and what we transmit.

It is my hope that young people can truly enjoy a safe and interactive performance while learning to be self-reflective and positive. As artists, the cast and crew of All the Way Live! had the freedom to explore our individuality through creativity and self-expression. We hope this experience is a living example of what a safe and collaborative space can produce. Thanks for tuning in.